Dispensing device



9 T. LAMPERT 3,369,578

DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Dec. 7, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 P 00%,W Q00,

a Toawax/ Unite States atent fifice 3,369,578 DISPENSING DEVICE TadeuszLampert, Rockford, 111., assignor to Bartelt Engineering Company, Inc.,Rockford, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 7, 1964, Ser. No.416,481 4 Claims. (Cl. 141-235) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLUSURE A pluralityof spaced feed augers disposed within a hopper and selectivelyadjustable toward and away from each other to vary the spacing betweenthe augers so that the latter may be alined with containers of differentsizes and shapes to discharge a product from the hopper into thecontainers. A drive mechanism for rotating the augers is in drivingengagement with the augers in all of their adjusted positions.

Background of the invention This invention relates to a dispensingdevice for discharging a product into a container and, moreparticularly, to a dispensing device having a plurality of feedmechanisms in the form of spaced augers which are power rotated todischarge the product into a series of containers simultaneously.

Summary of the invention In its primary aspect, the present inventioncontemplates a new and improved dispensing device of the above characterin which the feed angers are adjustable towardand away from each otherto vary the spacing between the augers so as to accommodate containersof different types. Provision is made of a novel drive mechanism whichmay be set into driving engagement with the augers regardless of thespacing selected thereby to rotate the augers in all of their adjustedpositions.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a top view of the feedmechanism.

FIG. 2 is a side view, partially in section, of the feed and fillmechanism.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1. 7

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial view of the feed mechanism gears.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a second embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description For purposes of illustration, the invention isshown in the drawings embodied in a dispensing and volumetric measuringdevice including a plurality of elongated upright spouts 11, 12, 13 and14 through which a product comprising articles or material isdischarged. The product is stored in a hopper 15 and fed in measuredquantity through a feed mechanism 16 associated with each spout. Thefeed mechanisms are driven by means of a driving assembly 17. In thisembodiment, four spouts are associated with the hopper forsimultaneously filling four bags or containers (not shown) placedbeneath the spouts. The spouts 11, 12, 13 and 14 are supported in avertical position from a support means comprising an upright frame 20and a horizontal spout support 21. The support 21 also serves as abottom wall of the hopper 15 and is connected detachably to the frame 20by bolts 21a. Each spout alines with an opening 22 in the support 21with an auger 23 extending from within the bin to the spout andsupported for rotation by a shaft 24. When the augers are rotated for apredetermined length of time, a measured quantity of the product ormaterial is carried to each spout to drop by gravity into a container.Agitators 25 attached to the shafts 24 assure a constant feeding ofmaterial to the angers.

Since the bags or containers may vary in size, it is advantageous toemploy spouts of different spacing adapted to be alined with thedifferent containers used thereby to provide a universal dispensingdevice, and to employ feed mechanisms that can be adjusted intoalinement with variously spaced spouts and that can be driven in all oftheir adjusted positions. It is to this purpose that the pres entinvention is directed in providing a driving assembly which remains indriving engagement with the feed mechanisms as the latter are adjustedinto alinement with the spouts. In accordance with this element of theinvention, the feed mechanisms 16 and associated shafts 24 are indriving engagement with the driving assembly 17 in a manner allowingmovement of the feed mechanisms and shafts toward and away from eachother to vary the spacing between the feed mechanisms thereby toaccommodate dilferently spaced spouts. In FIGS. 1-4, the upper ends ofshafts 24 are illustrated extending into shaft extensions 26 andfastened thereto by locking screws 27, with the shaft extensions beingsupported by bearings 28 held by bearing blocks 29 provided for eachshaft. The blocks 29 are individually supported on bars 30 and 31extending from the frame 20 such that the segmented blocks may be movedalong the bars to vary the spacing between each individual feedmechanism. Locking screws 32 and 33 lock the blocks in position on thebars.

Driven members which herein are gears 34, are keyed to the upper end ofeach shaft extension 26 and held in position by a screw 35 threaded intothe shaft extension. Interconnecting the driven gears 34 are drivingmembers comprising connecting gears 36 spaced between and in drivingengagement with each adjacent pair of driven gears and positionedalternately on each side of the driven gears to form a continuous gearchain of driven and connecting gears.

The connecting gears are supported for rotation on bearings 37 fittinginto the recesses 36a in the gears. The bearings are mounted on pins 38which extend into openings 39a in the gear plates 39 and are heldtherein by locking screws 40. Bolts 41 threaded into the gears hold thegears on the supporting bearings. Each gear plate 39 is mounted on a pin42 threaded into a bearing block 29 by the pin extending through anarcuate shaped slot 43 in the gear plate such that the plate may pivotin a plane parallel to the block surface and may move toward and awayfrom the pin somewhat since the slot is larger than the pin.

As the bearing blocks 29 are adjusted with respect to one another on thebars 30 and 31, the driven gears 34 are similarly adjusted. To maintainthe connecting gears 36 in driving engagement with the adjacent gears34, the gear plates 39 may be pivoted to move the connecting gears 36into driving engagement With the driven gears in the adjusted positionsof the latter. The pins 42 may be fitted into any of several spacedopenings 43a in the bearing blocks for proper positioning of the gearplates and connecting gears so that the gears 36 may engage with and bepositioned between the driven gears 34 regardless of their spacing.

Connecting with the right-hand shaft extension 26 is a shaft 45 illustated in FIG. 2 to which is keyed a pulley 46 driven by a V-belt 47extending from a pulley 48 supported on an output shaft 49 of the clutch50. Another pulley 51 is keyed to an input shaft 52 of the clutch anddriven by a V-belt 53 exending from a motor 54 for driving the fillingmechanism. The clutch is similar to those generally employed allowingcontinuous rotation of the drive motor 54 and effecting an intermittentdriving connection between the motor and the driving assembly such thatthe feed mechanism is rotated a predetermined length of time for eachfilling sequence. Braking-of the output shaft 49 may be done within theclutch to assure that the fill mechanism is driven a precise time ornumber of revolutions. A clutch of this general type is disclosed inBartelt, U.S. Patent 2,737,278. As illustrated in the drawings, otherpulleys 48a may be driven from the output shaft 49 of the clutch 50 todrive similar dispensing devices, with one such device illustratedhaving like mechanisms indicated by the prime numbers.

In operation, a set of four containers are positioned beneath the hopper15 with the material to be packaged in these containers stored withinthe hopper. The feed mechanisms and supporting bearing blocks 29 arethen moved along the bars 30 and 31 until each alines with a container,with the connecting gears 36 and the gear plates 39 being moved tomaintain driving engagement with the adjacent driven gears 34. Anappropriate spout assembly comprising the fill spouts and spout support21 having spouts 11, 12, 13 and 14 spaced from each other in accordancewith the size and shape of the containers then is selected and isfastened to the frame 20 by the bolts 21a. The spouts and the holes 22in the support 21 are telescoped over the lower ends of the feedmechanisms as an incident to attaching the support. With the feedmechanisms properly alined with the selected spouts and with thecontainers in place, the motor 53 is started for continuons rotation.The clutch 50 is then engaged for a predetermined length of time fordriving the mechanism -17 and rotating the angers 23 of the feedmechanisms 16 to carry a measured quantity of the product from thehopper to each spout to thereafter drop into the containers forpackaging. These filled containers are then removed and others placedinposition. Of course, the positions of the feed mechanisms 16 anddriving mechanism 17 need only be, changed and a different spout support21 with differently spaced spouts need only be selected when thecontainer spacing changes, as when containers of a different size orshape are to be filled.

In FIG. is illustrated a second embodiment of the invention utilizingthe bearing blocks 29" supported on spaced support bars 30 and 31 asheretofore described. Gears or sprockets 34" are supported from theshaft extensions 26" and comprise the driven member. These gears aredriven by a driving member comprising aninterconnecting belt or chain 55extending in driving engagement with each gear and around support gears56 and 57. In this embodiment as the blocks 29 are moved along thesupport bars 30" and 31" the gears 34" move parallel to the drive belt55 to remain in driving engagement with the drive belt. Of course, thereis usually no need to adjust the extreme left-hand feeding mechanism orthe left-hand gear 34" since the other three mechanisms can be adjustedrelative to the left-hand mechanism to accommodate different containers.As a result, the lefthand mechanism can be left in the position shown inFIG. 5 so that the belt 55 always will remain properly tensioned aroundthe fixed gears 56 and 57 and the left-hand gear 34". The clutch andmotor for this embodiment may be the same as heretofore described,

While particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variouschanges and modifications may be made without departing from theinvention, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims, all suchchanges and modifications that come within the true spirit and scope ofthe invention.

I claim:

1. In a dispenser for discharging a product, the combination of, asupport, a hopper mounted on said support for holding a supply ofproduct and having a (118- charge opening in its lower end, a pluralityof spaced adjustably mounting the upper ends of said angers on saidsupport for selective movement of the angers toward and away from eachother thereby to vary the spacing between the angers, driven membersfastened to and movable with said angers for rotating the latter, adrive mechanism disposed in driving engagement with said driven membersin all adjusted positions of said angers, and a power actuator operableto drive said drive mechanism thereby to rotate said angers in unisonthrough said drive mechanism and said driven members.

2. A dispenser as defined in claim 1 in which said driven memberscomprise driven gears fast on the upper ends of said angers androtatable about spaced axes, and said drive mechanism comprises a set ofconnecting gears each disposed between an adjacent pair of driven gearsand mounted on said support for movement toward and away i from a lineextending between the axes of rotation of the driven gears.

3. A dispenser as defined in claim 2 in which said connecting gears alsoare mounted for bodily movement with said angers as the latter are movedtoward and away from each other.

4. A dispenser as defined in claim 1 in which said driven memberscomprise driven toothedelements fast on the upper ends of said angers,and said drive mechanism comprises an endless belt having a toothed runextending parallelto the direction of adjustment of said angers anddisposed in driving engagement with said toothed elements to rotate saidangers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 640,375 1/1900 Gebhardt 141-257.X 2,443,182 6/1948 Carter l4l234 X 2,718,993 9/1955 McKinnon 14l 19l X2,932,330 4/1960 Donofrio 141-242 X LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

E. J. EARLS, Assistant Examiner.

